Electrophotographic sensitive member having a fluorinated amorphous silicon photoconductive layer

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic sensitive member comprising an amorphous fluorinated silicon photoconductive layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrophotographic sensitive member, characterized by comprising a hydrogen and fluorine containing amorphous silicon photoconductive layer having an absorption coefficient ratio of the peaks of 827 cm -1  to 1015 cm -1  in an infrared absorption spectrum of 1.3 or more. 
     
     
       2. A process for producing an electrophotographic sensitive member comprising the steps of introducing a substrate into a reaction chamber of a glow discharge apparatus, introducing gases for forming an amorphous silicon layer into the reaction chamber and generating a glow discharge inside the reaction chamber to thereby form a hydrogen and fluorine containing amorphous silicon photoconductive layer on the substrate, wherein the pressure of the gases for forming the amorphous silicon layer ranges from 0.2 to 3 Torr during the glow discharge, and wherein the gases for forming the amorphous silicon layer comprise a fluorine containing silicon compound, a hydrogen containing silicon compound and a carrier gas, the ratio of the volume of the fluorine containing silicon compound to the total volume of the fluorine containing silicon compound and the hydrogen containing silicon compound ranging from 0.20:1 to 0.50:1. 
     
     
       3. A process for producing an electrophotographic sensitive member as set forth in claim 2, characterized by that the flow rate of the gaseous mixture introduced into a glow discharge decomposition zone inside said reaction chamber for forming the amorphous silicon layer ranges from 20 to 150/min based on the volume of said glow discharge decomposition zone. 
     
     
       4. A process for producing an electrophotographic sensitive member as set forth in claim 2, characterized by that said carrier gas is hydrogen gas. 
     
     
       5. A process for producing an electrophotographic sensitive member as set forth in claim 2, characterized by that said carrier gas is a rare gas. 
     
     
       6. A process for producing an electrophotographic sensitive member as set forth in claim 5, characterized by that said rare gas is helium gas. 
     
     
       7. A process for producing an electrophotographic sensitive member as set forth in claim 2, characterized by that the ratio of the volume of said carrier gas to the total volume of the gas used for forming the amorphous silicon layer ranges from 0.50:1 to 0.90:1. 
     
     
       8. A process for producing an electrophotographic sensitive member as set forth in claim 2, characterized by that said fluorine containing silicon compound is SiF 4 . 
     
     
       9. A process for producing an electrophotographic sensitive member as set forth in claim 2, characterized by that said hydrogen containing silicon compound is SiH 4 . 
     
     
       10. An electrohotographic sensitive member comprising a substrate and a fluorinated amorphous silicon photoconductive layer in intimate contact with the substrate, the photoconductive layer containing Si--F 2  bonds having an absorption peak of wavenumber 827 cm -1  and Si--F 3  bonds having an absorption peak of wavenumber 1015 cm -1  wherein the ratio of the absorption coefficient of the 827 cm -1  peak to the absorption coefficient of the 1015 cm -1  peak is at least 1.3. 
     
     
       11. A glow discharge process for producing an electrophotographic sensitive member of the type having a substrate and an amorphous fluorinated silicon photoconductive layer in intimate contact therewith, the process comprising the following steps: providing a glow discharge reaction chamber in which a glow discharge is generated;   forming a gaseous mixture comprising a silicon compound containing fluorine, a silicon compound containing hydrogen and a carrier gas wherein the ratio of the volume of the silicon compound containing fluorine to the combined volume of the silicon compound containing fluorine and silicon compound containing hydrogen ranges from 0.20:1 to 0.50:1;   pressurizing the gaseous mixture to a pressure ranging from 0.2 to 3 Torr; and   introducing the pressurized gaseous mixture into the reaction chamber.   
     
     
       12. The electrophotographic sensitive member produced according to the process of claim 11.